Rockingham Dragway’s reputation for diversity won’t lose any of its luster this year with track owner Steve Earwood’s announcement of a 63-event schedule that includes a little bit of everything – from a Perdue Farms company picnic to a Rugged Maniacs 5k obstacle race to the return of the American Drag Racing League Pro Mod Series.
 
Nevertheless, Earwood is most excited about his track’s new affiliations with the Modern Hemi Shootout Series, which makes its Rockingham debut in May, the stars of the wildly popular Street Outlaws TV series, who will be featured in events in April and October, and the International Drag Bike League, which will contest its World Finals on a November date that will provide the world’s fastest street bikes a platform for record-breaking performance.
 
“We pride ourselves on being responsive to changes in the interest of our racers, spectators and sponsors,” Earwood said, “and once again that was the most important thing in putting together a new schedule.
 
“In addition to anchor events like the Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Nationals (Oct. 12-15), the Dieffenbach GM Original Super Chevy Show (Sept. 29-30) and Griffin MOPARs at the Rock (April 1), this year we’ve scheduled races for trucks (Blood, Sweat and Gears on March 19), ATVs (Four-Wheel Fury on June 10), radio-controlled vehicles (the Carolina Model Drag Series) and even for those who don’t do their racing in a straight line (the eight-race KMS Drift Series).
 
“Plus, everyone always looks forward to the Pro Mod race (the ADRL Spring Nationals) which will be April seventh, eighth and ninth.”
 
There also will be a steady diet of bracket racing events including the annual Free Entry Racers Appreciation event (March 4-5), the all-new Top ET Challenge (March 23-26), the “Third Amber Throwdown” (April 29-30), the 19th annual “Big John” Memorial Weekend Bracket Championships (May 26-29) and Powerfest 5 (Aug. 25-27).
 
“The Top ET Challenge is a big money race that’s generating a lot of pre-season buzz simply because of the purse,” Earwood said.  “It’s going to pay $20,000 to win each day -- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
 
The track opens for the first time on Feb. 11 for street drags, grudge racing and a test-and-tune session.  During the season, there will be eight opportunities for bracket racers to earn points toward Rockingham track championships and berths on the team that will represent the track at the Southeast Division Bracket Finals.
 
In addition to the Jim McClure Nitro Nationals, MOPARs at the Rock, Super Chevy and Man Cup National Motorcycle Series, The Rock also will bring back the SRI Performance Civil Wars series with races in May and November; the Southeast Jr. Dragster Nationals, which will be contested for the fourth time the weekend of March 11-12; and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series featuring the sport’s sportsman stars the weekend of Oct. 27-29.
 
ROCKINGHAM DRAGWAY 2017 EVENT SCHEDULE
 
February 11              Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
February 25              Carolina Model Drag Series 1 (on the remote control track)
February 25-26         Phantasm Street Wars 1 plus KMS Drift
 
March 4-5                  Free Entry Racer Appreciation Race plus ET points races 1 & 2 March 11              Carolina Model Drag Series 2 (on the remote control track)
March 11–12             Fourth Southeast Jr. Dragster Nationals
March 18                   Phantasm Street Wars 2 plus KMS Drift
March 19                   Blood, Sweat and Gears presented by Higher Degree Trucks
March 23-26              Top ET Challenge: $20K per day, free Thursday test for all entrants
March 25                   Carolina Model Drag Series 3 (on the remote control track)
 
April  1                        26th MOPARS at The Rock presented by Indy Cylinder Heads
April 2                         Import Face-Off
April 7-9                     ADRL Spring Nationals (ADRL Pro Mod Tour)
April 14-16                 IMDRA Spring Nationals (RC Drags on the Remote Control Track)
April 15                      Perdue Farms Picnic
April 15                      Phantasm Street Wars 3 plus KMS Drift
April 22                      Spring Street Outlaws Shootout featuring stars of the TV show
April 29                      Carolina Model Drag Series 4 (on the remote control track)
April 29-30                 Third Amber Throwdown ($20K-5K to win)
 
May 6-7                      22nd SRI Performance Parts Spring Civil Wars
May 12                       Modern Hemi Shootout test-and-tune
May 13                       Modern Hemi Shootout Series (season opener)
May 13                       Carolina Model Drag Series 5 (on the remote control track)
May 20                       Rugged Maniacs Series 5K obstacle race
May 21                       KMS Drift
May 26-29                 19th ‘Big John’ Memorial Weekend Brackets plus ET points races 3, 4 and 5
May 27                       Carolina Model Drag Series 6 (on the remote control track)
 
June 10                     Four-Wheel Fury Street Drags (ATVs) plus all vehicle test-and-tune
June 16-17                Smoke Out 18 Bike Rally
June 24                     Carolina Model Drag Series 7 (on the remote control track)
June 24                     Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
July 1                         Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
July 8                         ET points race 6
July 15                       Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
July 15                       Carolina Model Drag Series 8 (on the remote control track)
July 22                       ET points race 7
 
August 5                    Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
August 5                    Carolina Model Drag Series 9 (on the remote control track)
August 19                  Street Drags/test-and-tune for all vehicles
August 25-27                        Powerfest 5 Big $ Brackets, return of the Blue Light Special!
 
Sept. 3                        Grudgefest VIII
Sept. 3                        Carolina Model Drag Series 10 (on the remote control track)
Sept. 9                        Phantasm Street Wars 4 plus KMS Drift
Sept. 10                     KMS Drift
Sept. 16-17                Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition & ET points race 8
Sept. 16                     Carolina Model Drag Series 11 (on the remote control track)
Sept. 22-24                Man Cup Motorcycle Series (featuring Top Fuel bikes)
Sept. 29-30                The Original Super Chevy Show
 
Oct. 7-8                      IMDRA World Finals (RC Racing on the remote control track)
Oct. 12-15                  AMRA Jim McClure All-Harley Nitro Nationals featuring the Ray Price Top Fuel Challenge
Oct. 21                        Fall Street Outlaws Shootout featuring stars of the TV Show
Oct. 27-29                  NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
 
Nov. 4-5                     IDBL World Finals (world’s fastest street bikes)
Nov. 11-12                 Phantasm Street Wars 5 plus KMS Drift Finals
Nov. 11                      Carolina Model Drag Series 12 (on the remote control track)
Nov. 17-19                 SRI Performance Parts Fall Civil Wars
Nov. 25                      Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
 
Dec. 2                         Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Dec. 9                         Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles
Dec. 16                      Street Drags plus test-and-tune for all vehicles